Let's wrap up the work week with a couple of appealing Italian wines that illustrate a somewhat controversial trend in the wine market.

In many of the world's wine regions, perhaps especially in Europe, there is a growing tension between producers who consider tradition a key element in their regional wines, and those who strike out in new directions, experimenting with variations in the blend of grapes, vinification techniques and the use of oak, creating wines that may be tasty but that move the wine away from its region's traditional character toward an "international" style.

Needless to say, these wines can be controversial, separating wine lovers into opposing camps: those who decry the loss of regional character, versus those who respond, "Forget tradition, this stuff tastes good!"

I won't sit in judgement today, other than to note that both of today's Italian wines - a red from Valpolicella, and a white from Vallagarina in Trento-Alto Adige - strike me as non-traditional and good.

Clear pale gold, this wine's complex aromas include elements of cooking apples, damp wool, minerals and, over it all, a distinct scent of oak. Full-bodied and rather rich on the palate, tart white fruit is balanced with firm acidity; snappy citrus and a surprisingly bitter note of almonds persist in a long finish. U.S. importer: Vintner Select, Cincinnati, Skurnik Wines, NYC, North Berkeley Wine Merchant, California, and other regional importers; a Marc de Grazia Selection. (Sept. 10, 2002)

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